


Open Ocean

by SandyRoses



Series: Under The Sea [3]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Fantasy Creatures, Angst, Backstory, Boys Kissing, Canon Compliant, Cruise Ships, Crying, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gills, Hints of crack, Homesickness, I'm surprised those are tags wtf, Idols, JeongCheol is platonic, JiHan is platonic, Joshua is a fish boy, Joshua loves water, Just a little bit of Angst, M/M, Making Out, Ocean, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pet Names, Secrets, Seungcheol Loves Him, Soft Boys, That sounds really bad I promise its not bad, Vaguely Implied Sexual Content, Water, accepting friends, hints of magic, rated t for language and mentions of sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-12-16 23:03:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21044258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SandyRoses/pseuds/SandyRoses
Summary: Whenever they go out over the open ocean at night, Joshua gets...different. Seungcheol wants to figure out why.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know y'all have been waiting for this for a long time and I'm SORRY FOR THE WAIT I PROMISE I HAD IT ON MY MIND I WAS JUST A BIT BUSY but anyways I finally have this done so I hope you enjoy !! I'm gonna do it in two parts because it's so long this time ><
> 
> Also, my respects to Sulli and her loved ones. I hope the pain eases soon.

If there was one thing about Joshua that really made Seungcheol concerned, well, he could name a few, some of which being Joshua’s strange but utter hatred of being called “kitten”, his preference of reading books in odd positions, and the fact that he and Jeonghan synced up like they shared the same brain.

But the thing that genuinely made him concerned was that, when they traveled over open water, over the ocean, Joshua got...different. They all expected him to be ecstatic about it, and he was, until nightfall, where he’d go quiet and wander off, staring out into the blue-black expanse of water surrounding them, looking almost...wistful, as though longing for something he used to have. Then, when morning came, he’d be normal again, even if the bags under his eyes were darker than normal.

So, with the opportunity of a three-day/two-night cruise upon them, Seungcheol wanted to try and uncover some of the mystery surrounding Joshua’s strange quietness over open water.

* * *

“Seungcheol, please control your fish boy before he throws himself overboard.” The exasperated sigh from Seungkwan made Seungcheol’s head shoot up in alarm, and he glanced around until he spotted Joshua leaning much too far over the railing of their boat. The speed at which he got up and ran over to Joshua to stop him from falling into the ocean was comical.

“Woah, woah, the fuck do you think you’re doing!?” he hissed, yanking Joshua back by the collar of his shirt and settling the singer against his chest. He had to admit, he was a little pissed but only because he was momentarily terrified.

He didn’t expect to feel Joshua shaking like a scared rabbit. “Hey, hey, calm down, I’m not mad, please don’t cry,” he said frantically, pulling back to cup Joshua’s cheeks, pressing their foreheads together. He wasn’t crying, but there was a weird emotion in his eyes and in the tension of his whole body, a feeling Seungcheol could neither name nor describe. “Shua? Shua, sweetheart, are you alright?” Usually he didn’t bust out the pet names until they were alone, but the weird, unsettling energy surrounding Joshua made him a little scared.

“Ye-yeah, I’m ok. I’m fine. Why are you hugging me? Are you ok?” Joshua was talking far too fast, far too dismissively for him to really be fine, but Seungcheol loosened his grip a little anyway, relieved that Joshua wasn’t going to break down and start sobbing for some unknown reason.

“You almost fell off the boat, and, well, that really wouldn’t do good for any of our blood pressure,” he explained, fondly exasperated and still a little worried. “Stay on the dry side of the railings, ok baby?”

Joshua nodded, but Seungcheol didn’t miss the way his eyes kept flickering out to the ocean, that odd wistfulness heavy in his gaze. Maybe he should bring Joshua back inside? Nah, that probably wouldn’t work.

“Do you wanna stay out here?” he prompted, and Joshua nodded, already floating away to peer over the railings again. Seungcheol sighed, but fondly, shaking his head a little. It didn’t seem like his water-loving fish boy would ever change. He kind of liked it that way, though, even if it did occasionally almost give him a heart attack.

He decided to go check on what the others were doing, and he found Jihoon and Minghao trying to assemble one of the jigsaw puzzles Soonyoung had brought along. He didn’t dare disturb them, so he left them to work in silence and moved on to find the others. Mingyu, Hansol, and Jun were all napping in a puddle of sunshine like a pile of kittens, and he took a quick picture before making sure Mingyu wouldn’t crush Hansol in his sleep. Next, he found Seokmin and Jeonghan chatting on the bow of the boat, pointing at something he couldn’t see. Soonyoung was puttering around nearby, and Seungcheol knew Chan was shut up in his room, dry-heaving every time the boat tipped to the side, and he also knew Wonwoo had gone up to check on him, which left Seungkwan, who was probably walking around with a gopro.

He was able to strike up a conversation with Soonyoung, and when the wind got too sharp, he, Soonyoung, Seokmin, and Jeonghan went back inside, preferring to watch Minghao and Jihoon silently put their puzzle together. Seungkwan wandered over, and as predicted, he was holding a camera that he trained obnoxiously into Minghao’s face, blaring loud commentary about their puzzle skills.

Eventually, Jihoon threw a puzzle piece at him, and, not really stoked about getting pelted with cardboard, Seungkwan stepped back, turning off the gopro and sitting down next to Seokmin.

“Party pooper,” he muttered, and Seokmin snickered, patting the other singer’s arm. “And if all of you are here, and Mingyu, Nonie, and Jun are all napping, and Chan and Wonwoo are in Chan’s room, then where’s Joshua?”

“Outside, probably,” Seungcheol piped up easily, and all eyes turned to him. “...What?”

“You should bring him inside; it gets chilly with the wind. He wasn’t wearing much more than a hoodie, was he?” Jeonghan hummed, ever the concerned mother. “Also, he might chuck himself overboard, so…”

“10 bucks says he will,” Jihoon muttered. Seungcheol looked at him in mild alarm.

“Say no more,” Seungcheol huffed. He knew Joshua wouldn’t actually jump into the water, but...well, better safe than sorry.

So, standing up quickly, he made his way back out into the cold wind, out onto the unsteady deck that rocked with the ship’s motion. He wandered around for a bit, and he found Joshua on the other side of the boat, smiling to himself, eyes closed as he leaned into the wind.

“The others are saying you’ll jump over. I’m pretty sure Jihoon is betting that you will,” he called, and Joshua glanced over his shoulder, smile widening.

“Hi Cheolie,” he practically cooed, waving him over. “Isn’t the ocean nice?” Seungcheol looked out, and yeah, it actually was pretty beautiful, a lovely azure color that reflected the sky like a mirror. He nodded, allowing himself to enjoy it for a few minutes before nudging Joshua’s arm.

"Alright, come on, back inside with you," Seungcheol chuckled, rubbing the spot beneath Joshua's jaw that always made him absolutely melt. He took a step back so Joshua would be forced to follow, and to his delight and amusement, Joshua, with his eyes still closed contentedly, trailed after him, head tilted a little so Seungcheol would keep petting him.

"You're such a cat for a boy with gills," Seungcheol hummed, though there was only fondness in his tone, lightly scratching his blunt nails against the sensitive skin down Joshua's neck, and his eyes widened when a sort of weird, guttural rumbling noise floated into his ears.

"...Did you just purr?" he huffed, raising an eyebrow, and Joshua blinked open glazed-over eyes, shuffling closer and tilting his head back.

"Keep going," he ordered, flicking his gills open and closed several times. Seungcheol snorted, but complied, rubbing his thumb down the hollow of Joshua’s throat to try and get another one of those strange, primordial purring noises. He succeeded, and wondered if he could somehow catch it on camera. 

When he’d lured Joshua inside, he took his hand away, and though Joshua pouted, he followed the leader back to the others, where Jihoon and Minghao were setting the last pieces into place. It was a picture of a reef, brightly-colored fish captured in a still-life.

“Right on time,” Jeonghan noted, motioning for Joshua to sit next to him. 

But Joshua didn’t move. He just kept staring at the finished puzzle, an unreadable emotion in his eyes that wasn’t quite nostalgia but something like it, something heavier. 

“Shua?” Jeonghan prompted, sounding a bit worried, and at that, Joshua finally shook his head, smiling a bit in a way that Seungcheol thought looked kind of forced.

“Sorry, just thought I remembered that photo from somewhere,” he offered, sitting down next to Jeonghan and quickly engaging him in a conversation about their next comeback instead. Seungcheol blinked at him, then slowly at the finished puzzle, and frowned to himself a little bit.

He should keep a closer eye on Joshua while they were over the open ocean.

* * *

Again, he seemed fine during the day. They collected a lot of b-roll footage for another Going Seventeen episode, and they spent most of the time doing silly things for the camera and enjoying the sunshine on the deck. They culminated the evening with watching a beautiful sunset over the water, all of them taking it in silently. 

The sky was shot through with pinks and purples and periwinkle greys and the prettiest shades of blue, laced with gold from the setting sun. It was beautiful, and Seungcheol wished he had a camera good enough to get a nice photo. He had wiggled himself between Jihoon and Hansol, ruffling the younger rapper’s hair fondly as they watched, and a sense of peace filled his chest. Here, where it was quiet and there were no cameras, things felt right.

He glanced at his members, fond feelings overflowing in his chest, but when his eyes caught on Joshua, those feelings sobered a little, because Joshua wasn’t watching the sunset, he was looking down at the water.

Seungcheol followed his gaze. The whole ocean was stained in the light from the sun, and there was a golden line coming out of the horizon, shimmering orange and gold and dark navy blue with the waves. It was certainly a very different kind of beautiful than the sky, but no less so. At least Joshua was just leaning on the railing, not trying to climb over it, Seungcheol thought.

When the sun was right about to set, Seungcheol called for a photo, just a cheesy little memento for a good memory. One of the workers on the boat offered to take the photo for them and Seungcheol handed over his phone, wrapping his arms around Hansol and Jihoon’s shoulders.

When several photos were taken, Seungkwan was the first to say he would like to shower and then go to sleep, and most of them followed. Jun and Minghao stayed out to take a walk around deck, and Joshua just turned around and stared out at the water again. However, before Seungcheol could make his way over, Jeonghan set himself next to Joshua’s side, blonde hair flying wildly in the wind. Seungcheol decided to let them have their alone time and followed a yawning Soonyoung inside.

He happily took part in the antics of Mingyu and Seungkwan, but when a pillow hit him in the face and the tassel got caught in his earring, he retreated to the room he shared with Wonwoo (there were more than enough rooms for them to sleep on their own, but they had all been together for so long that sleeping alone was just weird and uncomfy), hissing as he untangled the little ropes from his earring. Why had he chosen those stupid dangly handcuff earrings again?

When he had the pillow successfully untangled and chucked into the door, he hopped onto his bed to look out the window at the rapidly-darkening sky, stars appearing left and right. At the very edge of the window he could see Jeonghan and Joshua leaning next to each other on the railing, probably talking quietly.

He looked up when he heard the door open and saw Wonwoo walk in, looking relaxed.

“Hey,” he greeted quietly, and Wonwoo nodded, pulling out his phone and curling up on his side on his bed, facing Seungcheol. Figuring the other would be content with the silence, Seungcheol went back to staring out the window, watching the stars slowly grow brighter in the sky. The vague background noise of Wonwoo’s phone and occasional giggle helped him zone out, and when someone knocked on the door, he didn’t immediately register it at first.

“Come in,” Wonwoo called for him, and Seungcheol finally turned to see Jeonghan’s face in the door, sending him a small smile.

“Your turn. Go keep him company for a while,” he whispered, and Seungcheol didn’t need him to clarify at all. With a hum he forced himself up and gave Jeonghan a grateful pat on the shoulder, noting down the way Wonwoo’s eyes sharpened behind his glasses when he closed the door.

“Is he being mopey again?” Seungcheol asked as he walked next to Jeonghan.

“No, not really,” Jeonghan shrugged, hands in the pocket of his hoodie. “More like he’s...reminiscing about something none of us can relate to.” Seungcheol hummed. He had a feeling he knew what Joshua was reminiscing about.

“Is he alright?”

“Yeah, just...quiet. You know how he gets at night over water. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like some part of him is really...connected to the water.” His voice was soft, a little curious, a little concerned, a little uncertain, and Seungcheol rubbed a hand up and down his back soothingly.

“You aren’t the only one,” he offered, glancing out at the water when they stepped onto the deck. “Sometimes I wonder where he goes in his head when he gets to swim. He seems...more at home, y’know?” Jeonghan nodded, shivering in the wind and shrinking into his hoodie. They stood there for a second, looking out at the night sky and the inky black water, taking in the sight of the stars.

“...Well, I’m gonna go inside, but I’ll probably be up for a while,” Jeonghan sighed after a while, trying to pet his hair down where it had flopped all over his face. Seungcheol nodded with a hum, tracing the stars with his eyes. Without all the light pollution, he could see so much more…

“Shua’s hopefully still standing at the bow,” Jeonghan added, gesturing to his left, and Seungcheol glanced over. “Make sure he doesn’t fall in, ok?”

“I won’t, don’t worry,” he laughed softly, giving Jeonghan’s head one final pat before making his way off to the bow to find his favorite fish boy.

He found Joshua standing right at the front of the boat, gazing out into the water, and though his hair was being whipped around by the wind, he seemed completely unbothered. Seungcheol, however, was having a bit of a hard time even walking in a straight line with the rocking of the boat. Poor Chan was still shut up in his room with a bad case of seasickness from all the excessive back-and-forth motions.

Seungcheol didn’t dare disturb Joshua when he looked so peaceful, eyes closed, hands in his pockets, swaying slightly to counter the boat’s rocking, so he settled for just standing next to him, looking out at the sea and shivering a little.

“...Hey,” Joshua finally said, and his voice was so quiet Seungcheol barely heard him over the wind.

“Hey,” he said back, slowly moving to put an arm around Joshua’s waist. “What’cha thinkin’ about?”

“...Things,” Joshua shrugged, leaning into his side. “I love the ocean.”

Seungcheol only hummed, not wanting to ruin the moment with humor. They stayed quiet. Seungcheol let his gaze lift to the stars again, kind of amazed by just how much he could _ see _. He couldn’t even name any constellations; there were too many stars to count.

He blinked when Joshua lifted his hand. “That one is Polaris,” he whispered, pointing at a shimmering star that glowed brightly among its fellows. “Cygnus, Lyra, and Orion,” he continued, tracing the stars with his fingertip. “Ursa Major and Minor, Aquarius…” He trailed off, letting his hand fall, and Seungcheol pressed a kiss to his cheek, cold from exposure.

“Shua? Can I ask you something?” he whispered, and Joshua hummed, nodding. “...Where did you come from?” He knew Joshua was born in LA, he wasn’t dumb, but...well, it wasn’t every day that Seungcheol met someone with gills.

“...That’s not important,” Joshua mumbled, and Seungcheol bobbed his head a couple times, petting Joshua’s hip. If that was all he was gonna get, then that was ok, even if he was very curious. “...Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he shrugged. “That stuff is your business. I’m just glad I know the things I do about you right now. I’m glad you trust me enough to share that with me.” He dipped his head to nuzzle and kiss Joshua’s cheek again, hugging him closer. “I think you’re pretty cool, if that helps.”

Joshua laughed once through his nose, a soft exhale of amusement, but there was a little smile lingering on his lips that made Seungcheol smile too.

“Can I ask another question?”

“You just did. But yes, go ahead.”

“...” Seungcheol bit his lip a little, leaning his head on Joshua’s. “...You get...different, sometimes, when we’re out on the ocean at night,” he began slowly. It wasn’t really a question, but he didn’t know how else to phrase it.

“...I like the water at night. I like seeing the stars. Reminds me of...home,” Joshua said, very quietly. “I like the rocking motion too. Feels nice, like the waves,” he continued, closing his eyes again, probably focusing on the swaying of the boat. Seungcheol had no problem with the motion, but Joshua seemed to enjoy it a lot.

“It is very pretty,” he agreed, running a hand up and down Joshua’s back slowly, resting in the crook of his side. “I can see the appeal.”

“Mm. Nice, isn’t it?” Joshua hummed absently, leaning his arms on the railing. “I just...I really love the water. Pools aren’t the same as the ocean.” At that, Seungcheol blinked at him, looking at how the light from the waning moon gave his skin a pale glow and made his hair look silver.

“...Is there something you miss...down there?” It was a stab in the dark, probably a stupid question, but even through the dark he could see the way Joshua’s shoulders tensed, could practically hear him suck in a breath of air. He didn’t answer and Seungcheol didn’t push. He just sighed softly and pet Joshua’s back again, hoping to maybe soothe him. “You don’t have to tell me. I just want you to know that I’m listening if you do.”

Joshua stayed silent, but Seungcheol’s mind was reeling. It seemed like a far-fetched idea, but...where had Joshua really come from? How...how did he exist? Did he just crawl up from the sea one day? Probably not, but...humans weren’t just born having gills.

“...I mean, sometimes,” Joshua finally whispered, and Seungcheol had to lean forward to hear him. He almost sounded on the verge of tears, and Seungcheol wrapped both of his arms around Joshua’s waist, hugging the singer to his chest. He pressed a light kiss on Joshua’s neck where he knew his gills were, and Joshua shivered, cuddling against him, cold hands resting over his forearms.

“Sorry, that probably sounds really sketchy and shit-”

“Shh, shush. I don’t mind,” Seungcheol huffed, cutting Joshua off. “Unfortunately, I can’t let you jump off of the boat, but I can stand out here with you as long as you want.”

“Won’t you get cold?” Joshua shot him a concerned glance, and Seungcheol shrugged. Yeah, he was kind of cold already, but he didn’t care, not when he was one step closer to finding out more about Joshua and his past.

“You’ve been out here longer. Aren’t _ you _ cold?” he countered. Joshua shook his head, looking back out of the open sea.

“Don’t really get cold,” he mumbled, and Seungcheol chuckled into the back of his neck, holding him tighter.

“Lucky,” he murmured, and he felt one of Joshua’s hands pat his arm. They fell silent again, and Seungcheol focused on feeling how Joshua’s chest moved with his breathing, how he knew just how to lean to move with the rocking of the boat to stay stable. There was still some of that weird tension in his shoulders, an urge to move to where he was more comfortable, but he didn’t move away.

Seungcheol didn’t know how long they stayed there, but at some point Joshua turned in his arms, hugging him back, head in the crook of his neck, and if Seungcheol really concentrated, he could feel Joshua’s heart beating against his chest. It was nice like that, just the two of them in the dark, looking at the stars and swaying with the rocking of the boat, no one else to disturb them.

And then someone had to disturb them.

“You two should come back inside,” Wonwoo’s soft, low voice called, and Seungcheol reluctantly looked away from the moon shining on the water’s surface, a wavy, ever-changing painting, to glance over at the younger rapper, whose expression he couldn’t see very well through the darkness.

“Yeah, he’s probably right. We wanna get some sleep for tomorrow,” Joshua was the first to mumble, though he made no move to pull away for several seconds.

“We’ll be right there,” Seungcheol said to Wonwoo, who made a quiet noise of acknowledgement, hesitating before turning and walking back into the cabin.

“C’mon, let’s go,” Seungcheol sighed, peeling Joshua’s body away from his own and taking one of the singer’s hands, lacing their fingers together. He waited as Joshua threw one last look into the ink-black sea, something glinting in his eyes, then gently tugged him along so they could sleep.

“Night, Cheol,” Joshua whispered as he stood in front of the stairs, his room being a floor above Seungcheol’s.

“Night, sweetheart,” Seungcheol hummed, giving him a chaste kiss before shooing him on his way and turning to go back into his and Wonwoo’s room. The younger rapper was still awake as was expected, on his stomach, surprisingly not on his phone.

“...He really loves the ocean, doesn’t he,” Wonwoo said quietly, and it wasn’t a question.

“He does,” Seungcheol nodded, mostly to himself as he pulled off his hoodie and set it over the back of a bolted-down chair. Wonwoo hummed, though at what Seungcheol couldn’t say.

“..It’d be funny if he could breathe underwater or something,” Wonwoo continued, and for a split-second Seungcheol tensed, hands freezing over his blankets. Then he forced a laugh, grabbing his phone to distract himself.

“It’d certainly be ironic,” he shrugged. “I mean we all call him fish boy, don’t we?”

Wonwoo laughed and fell silent, but Seungcheol wasn’t able to relax until he heard the younger rapper’s breathing ease into the telltale evenness of deep sleep.

* * *

Seungcheol was awoken the next morning at god knows what hour, roused by someone shaking his shoulder. It was still dark, and when he glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand, it read 4:57 AM.

“Cheol, wake up,” Jeonghan hissed through the dark, and Seungcheol blinked blearily up at the younger.

“Wh-wha’s goin’ on?” he slurred, rubbing his eyes. Jeonghan shook both of his shoulders harder, almost violently.

“Cheol, get your ass up. I- I think Shua’s really seasick.” 

“So is Chan; he’ll be fine,” Seungcheol groaned, trying to roll over. He yelped when a hand came down hard on his blanket-covered stomach.

“No, he’s not fine! He’s crying and he keeps saying he wants to go home and I just- I don’t know what’s going on and I need you to help me, _ please_. And- and there’s these weird cuts on his neck and I don’t- I don’t know how to help him, so _ please_, please get up.” Jeonghan’s voice was entering the category of begging, on the verge of tears, even, and that got Seungcheol awake quicker than if someone had stabbed him.

Stumbling out of his bed, he made sure to not wake a still-sleeping Wonwoo, not bothering to even put on his shoes as he followed Jeonghan upstairs, where he shared a room with Joshua.

He was ready to slam the door open when they got to it, but Jeonghan reached it first, opening it quietly to let him in. When the sounds of muffled sobbing hit Seungcheol’s ears, every single nerve in his body fired with the instinct to soothe and protect, and before he could even register that he’d moved, he was on Joshua’s bed, pulling the singer out from under the covers and into his arms, wrapping tightly around him.

He ran one hand through Joshua’s hair, keeping his other arm tight around Joshua’s waist, murmuring soothing things over and over, rocking him back and forth in the hopes to calm him even if only a little. His forehead didn’t feel hot, so Seungcheol didn’t think he was sick, but there was a different kind of sickness making Joshua’s sobs rough at the edges.

“Wanna go home, Cheol,” Joshua wailed, and Seungcheol held him tighter, shushing him gently, kissing his temple.

“Shh, shh, it’s ok, it’s ok, baby, don’t cry,” he murmured, petting Joshua’s back. “It’s ok. We’ll be home before you know it. Just one more night, then we’ll be home, remember? It’s ok, sweetheart, I’m right here.” 

He was more alarmed when Joshua shook his head, trying to pull away, practically flailing in his arms. “I- I want to be in the water. I want to go home, please let me go home,” Joshua begged, tears pouring from his eyes, wide and filled with, not seasickness, but homesickness. His gills fluttered erratically and Seungcheol didn’t hear Jeonghan’s tiny, stunned gasp. “Please, Cheolie, let me go home, I want- I want to be in the water-”

Starting to get a little frantic, Seungcheol did the one thing he could think of and ran his fingers gently down Joshua’s neck, smoothing his gills back down into place. 

Joshua froze instantly, eyes wide, lips parted, and a violent shudder ripped through his whole body. Seungcheol swore he saw some of Joshua’s hair stand on end. Still, it seemed effective, so he kept doing it, lightly petting his neck, running his fingers along Joshua’s still-twitching gills, cooing softly. “That’s right, just like that. Breathe for me, ok? Calm down, nice deep breaths. I’m right here, sweetheart, ok? Doesn’t that feel nice?” Slowly, Joshua just weakly melted into his lap, baring his neck in a way that was almost timid.

“That’s right, everything is ok,” Seungcheol murmured, continuing to pet Joshua’s neck until he was sort of limp and boneless, slumped over his lap weakly like he had no energy left to fight. When he heard that soft, gentle purring noise, he smiled a bit, happy and relieved to see Joshua not freaking out anymore. 

“How about you rest for a while, hm? I bet you’re tired,” he hummed, raising one hand to pet Joshua’s hair. “How does a nice, long nap sound, sweetheart? Use your words, baby, say something to me.”

“‘S good,” Joshua whispered robotically, and Seungcheol pressed kisses all over his face, carefully laying him back down. He seemed completely dead-limbed, sort of unsettlingly unresponsive, and Seungcheol was worried.

“Do you want me to stay with you, Shua?” he prompted, and Joshua nodded. “Ok, I can do that,” he assured, leaning down to kiss his forehead, one hand still petting his neck to make sure he wouldn’t freak out again. Joshua just shuddered and closed his eyes, rolling onto his side, back to the door.

That was when Seungcheol realized Jeonghan was still in the room. _ Fuck_.

“...I’ll room with Wonwoo tonight,” Jeonghan whispered, eyes wide, sounding somewhat terrified, and Seungcheol frantically held up a hand.

“Not a word of this to anyone,” he ordered, forcing as much command as he could into his best leader voice. “Do you understand me, Jeonghan? Not. A. _ Word_.” Jeonghan nodded instantly, still looking stunned and kind of afraid, and when Seungcheol lowered his hand he left the room as quickly as possible without running.

He’d have to deal with that later. He’d hoped Joshua’s secret could stay secret for as long as possible, but…

He shook his head. He could think about that in the morning. Right now, he needed to stay and make sure Joshua was ok. He’d never seen the singer so completely and utterly frantic to get into the water, and it scared him. The homesickness in his eyes made Seungcheol’s gut twist unpleasantly, and he got a weird feeling that Joshua was connected to the ocean on a much, much bigger scale than he originally thought.

He closed his eyes for a moment, took in a deep inhale, and let it out as a slow sigh, looking down at Joshua, who was somehow sleeping already, gills firmly shut but lips a little parted. Even through the stress, a bright burst of fondness and love flitted into Seungcheol’s chest and stayed there.

“Sleep well, baby,” he sighed, laying down next to Joshua and laying an arm over his waist, pulling the singer as close as he dared and hoping against hope that things would turn out alright.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joshua goes home, and Seungcheol lets him, waiting for his fish boy to come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright this is a hecc of a longer chapter soo  
have fun !!

He was awoken once again by Jeonghan, though this time much more gently and hesitantly. It was maybe 15 minutes before 8, and groggily Seungcheol wondered why he’d been awoken so early.

“Can- can we talk?” Jeonghan’s voice was quiet and shaky, and somehow that made Seungcheol wake up almost instantly. It also made him apprehensive; Joshua was still asleep, and he didn’t want to disclose anything that the younger wasn’t comfortable with. It was Joshua’s secret, and even if Jeonghan was his best friend, Seungcheol wasn’t sure if he wanted to spill everything just yet.

He sat up a little anyway. “Yeah, sure. I can’t guarantee I’ll answer everything, but you can ask,” he offered, and Jeonghan perched on the bed across from them, fiddling with the blanket. Frankly he looked awful; his hair was flopped every which way and there were bags underneath his eyes, probably from him not being able to sleep.

“...What happened last night? To Shua?” Jeonghan finally whispered, and Seungcheol bit his lower lip. 

“I...don’t know,” he said honestly. He had no idea why Joshua had gotten so upset, so frantic, and it worried him too. Was there something about where they were? Was it just the fact that they were over open water? 

“...How d- how did you calm him down so fast? I couldn’t do anything to make him feel better,” Jeonghan mumbled next, and he almost sounded a little envious. Seungcheol hesitated.

“Well if I pet his neck he usually just kinda…” He made a half-assed flopping motion with his hand and Jeonghan smiled a dry smile.

“...I assume you’re not going to tell me about those weird cuts on his neck, are you.” It wasn’t a question, and Seungcheol sighed, giving Jeonghan his most even stare. 

“It’s Joshua’s personal stuff. I- If he wants to tell you, then he’ll tell you,” he said softly, and Jeonghan nodded, but he curled up anyway, knees to his chest, blonde hair hiding his face from view. Seungcheol wanted to get up and hug him, but he didn’t dare wake Joshua up, so he sighed and just let the singer think his thoughts.

“...I told Wonwoo,” Jeonghan whispered, and Seungcheol stiffened. “I’m sorry!” he said instantly, looking up like he was afraid Seungcheol would hurt him. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I just- I just couldn’t hold it in. Seeing that- I- I don’t know, I just had to tell someone. I would have exploded otherwise. I’m sorry.” He hung his head again, as though he was a child being scolded, and Seungcheol sighed, running a hand through his hair. He’d expressly told Jeonghan _ not _ to tell anyone, but he could understand the shock value of seeing your best friend’s neck seemingly cut open.

“Well, I guess I’m glad it’s just Wonwoo. He can keep his mouth shut when it counts,” he reasoned, mostly to himself. “But really, Jeonghan, don’t go telling this to people, ok? If Joshua wants to tell, then he’ll tell.”

“...How do you know? Did he- What do you even know? Is he ok?” Jeonghan was starting to look a little frantic, almost desperate, and Seungcheol held up a hand.

“Yes, he’s fine,” he soothed, and instantly Jeonghan looked a little less ruffled. “And I found out on accident, really. I had pretty much the same reaction as you, if it helps,” he added dryly, and Jeonghan smiled another one of those weird, dry smiles. “...But if I’m being honest, I have no idea why he was like that last night. I don’t know any more than you do in that aspect,” he sighed, looking down at Joshua, who was sleeping peacefully, unaware of the conversation going on above him. Jeonghan stayed silent for a bit, until the clock read 8:02 AM.

“...Is he gonna be ok?” Jeonghan whispered after a while, and Seungcheol sighed again.

“I hope so,” was all he could offer. “We- we can talk about it with Wonwoo when Joshua wakes up.” It was Jeonghan’s turn to sigh, and again, the two eldest fell silent.

“...We should go wake up the others,” Seungcheol hummed, and Jeonghan nodded, unfolding from his curled-up position and standing. “...I wish I could give you a good explanation, Jeonghan, I really do, but this is something Joshua has to tell you by himself,” he said quietly, and Jeonghan, who had been turning to the door, jolted to a stop.

“...I know,” he said, equally as quietly. “...I’ll go wake up the kids.” And like that he was gone, leaving Seungcheol to wonder if he’d offered a good enough substitute for the whole truth. He knew Jeonghan wouldn’t run his mouth, but…

He looked back down at Joshua, who had tucked his face into his pillow, neatly curled up like a little cat. The comparison made him huff out a weak laugh, and he leaned down to press a kiss to the sharp corner of his cheekbone, brushing his hair away from his eyes and pulling up the covers more securely around his body. 

Not for the first time, he wondered just how a person like Joshua had come to be.

* * *

He let Joshua wake up on his own, and when he felt Joshua stir next to him, he glanced over, having been lying on his back. “Morning,” he greeted softly.

“Mm...morning,” Joshua whispered, looking perfectly content as though the events of last night hadn’t even happened. “Why are you in my bed? Thought you were rooming with Wonwoo.”

“Yeah, about that…”

“...Oh. Right.” Joshua’s sleepy face hardened and he sat up, rubbing the crust away from his eyes and pulling his knees to his chest just like Jeonghan. “...Sorry about...what happened.”

“Don’t be,” Seungcheol said instantly, reaching up to tuck some of his hair behind his ear. “You don’t have to tell me if you’re not ready. And uh...Jeonghan knows now, or at least he’s probably figured out, about…” He let his fingers drop to brush where Joshua’s gills were, and the singer shivered. “And Wonwoo too.”

Joshua hesitated, then shrugged. “Well, it wasn’t like I was trying super hard to hide it so...I guess it was only a matter of time before more people found out.” He paused again. “...Do you think I should tell everyone?”

“Only if you feel you want to,” Seungcheol said instantly. “Jeonghan and Wonwoo can keep their mouths shut. They won’t tell anyone if you don’t want them to. Well, I kind of made sure Jeonghan would keep his mouth shut, but…” Joshua finally laughed a little at that, but his face quickly fell back into worried lines.

“...Maybe I should,” he mumbled, probably more to himself than to Seungcheol, who only rested a palm against his back to calm him. “And...sorry about last night. I just...freaked out a little.”

“Don’t be,” Seungcheol said again, more quietly. “I don’t...I don’t know where home is for you, but I do know that you’ll always have a home with us.” It was cheesy, cliche, and yet it made Joshua smile, so Seungcheol smiled too, rubbing Joshua’s back and sitting up a little more to pull him into a hug. Just because he could, he hummed a few bars of Home, and Joshua laughed, smushing his head against Seungcheol’s shoulder but not completely pushing him away.

“Sappy,” he muttered, and Seungcheol smirked.

“You love it though.”

“Yeah, I guess I do.”

* * *

The morning passed uneventfully. They got up, ate breakfast, and chatted for a while, and even though Jeonghan and Wonwoo kept glancing at Joshua, Seungcheol, and each other, nothing seemed too uneventful for Seungcheol’s liking. There was just a slight tension between the four of them, unsaid words hanging in the air.

“...I wanna tell them,” wasn’t what Seungcheol expected to hear from Joshua when they were walking on the deck, faces bare to the wind. “Jeonghan and Wonwoo, at least. They deserve an explanation. Don’t you think?”

“I mean, whatever you wanna do is fine, I guess,” Seungcheol offered, still a bit surprised. Joshua hummed, looking thoughtful, then performed a sharp about-face, walking back into the cabin with a confused Seungcheol on his heels. The leader just followed, wondering where he was going, but when he saw Joshua make a beeline for Jeonghan and Wonwoo, who were talking quietly in a booth, he understood.

He waited as he watched Joshua lean down a little to ask them something, and when they stood up, they all walked over to him.

“Let’s talk in our room,” Joshua hummed, leading the way, and Seungcheol fell into step next to him, shooting Jeonghan and Wonwoo a glance. They seemed half apprehensive, half curious, and he didn’t blame them at all.

When the door had swung shut behind them, Joshua hopped onto Seungcheol’s bed, crossing his legs and looking a little awkward.

“So uh...ask whatever questions you want, I guess,” he offered, and Jeonghan and Wonwoo exchanged a look. Things were painfully silent for a while, then Jeonghan raised a tentative hand.

“What...where those cuts on your neck? From last night? You’re ok, right?” he asked warily, and Joshua nodded quickly.

“Yeah, I’m ok, don’t worry. And they aren’t cuts, they’re...gills,” he explained quietly, and before they could ask, he tilted his head to the side and flicked his gills open and closed. Seungcheol watched with some satisfaction how their eyes widened almost comically. “Yes, gills,” Joshua said again as Wonwoo opened his mouth, looking incredulous. 

“...Oh,” Jeonghan said weakly, and Seungcheol fought not to laugh; he had the exact same reaction. Wonwoo closed his mouth slowly, still looking amazed, and Jeonghan had the same expression.

“So, when we called you a fish boy…” Jeonghan began slowly.

“That was...halfway accurate,” Joshua nodded, grinning sheepishly. “And yes, this means I can breathe underwater.”

There was a long stretch of stunned silence, then Jeonghan looked up at Seungcheol.

“How long have you known? How did you find out?” he questioned.

Seungcheol smiled awkwardly. “Maybe four or five months? And y’know that trip we took to Jeju? I found out when you guys sent me to check if he had fallen asleep in the tub, and, well, he had, but I thought his neck had been cut open and I kinda freaked out. Same as you, actually,” he shrugged. Joshua nodded with a hum, and Jeonghan and Wonwoo exchanged another surprised look. 

“...Oh,” Jeonghan mumbled again, staring at Joshua’s neck. “...Were you born like that or..?” Joshua nodded, and Jeonghan and Wonwoo just kind of blinked at him dumbly.

“How do you exist? Where did you come from? Why didn’t you tell us?” Wonwoo asked bluntly, eyes wide, and Joshua winced. Seungcheol looked at him carefully, watching the way he hesitated, watching the way his fingers twisted in the hem of his hoodie.

“I uh...I don’t know,” he mumbled, and all three of the others gave him confused looks. He only shrugged in a kind of dismissive way, eyes downcast. Luckily Wonwoo must have noticed his discomfort and sat back. “As for not telling you guys...I mean I guess it just never came up. If you had asked, I would have told you. I didn’t- I don’t- it’s not that I _ wanted _ to hide a secret from you, but…” He shrugged, and Jeonghan and Wonwoo exchanged another look, the younger of the two bobbing his head slowly.

“That’s...alright. We understand.” There was a pause. “So. You have gills. That’s...cool,” he hummed, and Jeonghan nodded. Seungcheol smiled as he saw wonder and curiosity take place of the shock in their eyes. Joshua bobbed his head a few times, humming and looking kind of awkward. “...Are there any other...fishy parts of you?”

“Not really,” Joshua shrugged. “I do have a second eyelid though.” He leaned forward, eyes wide, and a weird, thin, completely transparent film shut over both of his eyes for a moment, then retreated. Seungcheol shuddered; he didn’t know that was a thing. “It keeps the saltwater from hurting my eyes. Makes it kinda hard to wear contacts though.”

“...Wow,” Wonwoo mumbled. Joshua smiled, flicking those clear eyelids again in some kind of extremely odd wink. 

“That’s...really cool,” Jeonghan huffed, still sounding a bit stunned but almost in awe. “...Thank you for showing us this.”

“I mean, I never tried super hard to hide it,” Joshua shrugged, flashing a grin with slightly too-sharp teeth. “Have you really never noticed?”

“I mean, no, and now I feel stupid,” Wonwoo muttered. 

Seungcheol patted the top of his head gently, glancing at his watch before speaking. “Do you think we should get back to the others?” he prompted gently. He still had some questions himself, like why Joshua had been so frantic the night before, but that could wait until later. He was sure the singer wouldn’t really want to talk about it for a while anyway.

“Sure. Also, uh...you can tell the others if you want, but my philosophy is more like if someone wants to know, they can come up and ask,” Joshua said delicately, and Jeonghan and Wonwoo exchanged a look. “I prefer to let people find out on their own, directly from me instead of from someone else.”

“That sounds good,” Jeonghan nodded, standing up and moving to Seungcheol’s bed, wrapping an arm around Joshua’s shoulders. “We still love you, fish boy or not.”

“I know,” Joshua laughed, leaning into Jeonghan’s side. Seungcheol smiled at them, and when he glanced at Wonwoo the younger rapper was smiling too, glasses low on his nose.

Seungcheol relaxed; it seemed like nothing had gone too badly. Now all he had to do was find out why Joshua was so frantic to get back into the ocean.

* * *

He let the subject slip his mind during the morning, when they were standing on the deck in the sunshine, playing with a camera drone that Minghao and Mingyu had assembled. Chan, slightly less seasick, was lying on his back, throwing pebbles at the drone, which was far too high up for him to actually reach. Seungcheol was laughing his head off at something Soonyoung was saying, using Hansol as a stand to hold himself upright.

When he forced himself upright again, still chuckling, he glanced around, and god, his heart would never recover from seeing Joshua leaning further out on the railing of the boat, eyes glazed over, feet nearly lifting from the floor. He swore that for a second every single cell in his body had been dipped in some kind of good ol’ highly-concentrated, undiluted Panic Juice™, because he had yanked Joshua back by his shirt faster than Jeonghan was able to fall asleep.

“Good fucking lord, Joshua, this is the second time! What did I tell you...about...leaning over the railing…” He trailed off uncertainly, because Joshua wasn’t looking at him at all, still looking out at the water. The others, who had noticed Joshua’s daring brush with fate, followed his gaze. 

Joshua pointed out at the water. “Whale spouts,” he said simply, quietly, eyes fixed on the distant horizon. Seungcheol looked out, and true to Joshua’s words, faint spumes of water erupted from the sea every now and then. 

He turned back to Joshua, all his nerves still on fire from the panic. “Josh, I know you like the ocean, but I’m not gonna let you fall in to check out some whale spouts,” he said in a voice so strained he barely sounded like himself. However, Joshua gave him a weird look in response, brows furrowed.

“I was looking at something in the water, not at the whale spouts,” he huffed, and it was Seungcheol’s turn to give Joshua a look.

“...What was it?” he questioned, loosening his death grip on the back of Joshua’s shirt just a touch, making sure to keep his fingers twisted in the fabric. Just in case; there was no telling when the singer would suddenly decide to throw himself overboard.

“I dunno. I was trying to get a better look and then you yanked me back,” Joshua huffed, poking his head over the railing again. “Now it’s gone, too…”

“Yeah, well, better for me. You’re going to give me and Jeonghan a heart attack at this point,” he chuckled dryly, and Joshua sent him a playful glare before returning to blinking down at the pretty blue water. 

“He needs a child leash,” Jihoon sighed from somewhere behind him, and Seungcheol rolled his eyes.

“That statement applies to like, 90% of our group,” he pointed out, and Jihoon very pointedly looked at Soonyoung, who was poking Chan and trying to get him to stand up even though he was starting to look a few shades paler.

“Cheol,” Joshua said suddenly, tugging at his shirt, and Seungcheol hummed distractedly, wondering if he should go help Chan. A harder tug made him look over, frowning, to see what Joshua was pointing at. “Look.”

“Look at what, Shua?” he sighed, peering over the railing as well. He didn’t see anything for a second, but then Joshua let his arm dangle, pointing right below them, and Seungcheol’s whole body tensed wildly for the second time in less than half an hour when he realized there was a whale swimming directly below their boat.

“I wanna go say hi,” Joshua whispered, leaning further onto the railing, eyes almost entranced. “Wanna go back in the water.” 

At that, Seungcheol finally shook himself back into awareness, gently tugging Joshua away from the edge of the boat. “Shua, you know I can’t let you do that,” he sighed, even though it sent cracks through his heart to see Joshua’s crestfallen expression, almost like a kicked puppy.

But Joshua didn’t stray to the railing again; instead he just kind of sent the water a forlorn look, longing and wistful. Seungcheol’s concerned curiosity grew with every moment, but he settled for petting Joshua’s hair and leading him back to the others, making sure to keep an eye on the singer so he wouldn’t wander off and go join the whales. That disappearance would be an incredibly hard one to explain.

* * *

“You sure do love kissing, don’t you,” Seungcheol murmured against Joshua’s lips, running one hand through the singer’s hair. Evening was descending upon them and soon enough the sun would set, and, like always, Joshua would probably get a little melancholy for a while, so Seungcheol was doing his best to keep him happy with lots of smooches and cuddle time in his and Wonwoo’s room (Wonwoo had disappeared with Soonyoung and Jun, snickering about something that probably involved gaming or pranking).

“I love kissing _ you_,” Joshua corrected, smiling a little, and Seungcheol huffed out a soft laugh, wrapping both of his arms around Joshua’s waist and pulling him into another kiss.

“I too, would enjoy kissing Choi Seungcheol,” he snarked, and Joshua gently whacked his chest.

“Don’t let that ego get too big, now, or else the room’s gonna get a little crowded,” he chuckled, and Seungcheol rolled his eyes.

“Aish, well aren’t you snappy. What happened to the sweet little trainee I met all those years ago, so shy and polite?” he cooed, and Joshua fixed him with a lazy smirk, eyes heavy-lidded.

“I told you once and I’ll tell you again: Jeonghan happened. But enough about that; can I nap with you until Wonwoo comes back? I don’t wanna be alone in my room at night.” His voice grew softer with his words, and so did Seungcheol, who nodded instantly, nuzzling the edge of his jaw and leaving more kisses along his cheeks.

“Of course. I love my Shua cuddle time,” he crowed, and Joshua laughed a little, tilting his head back so Seungcheol could place ticklish butterfly kisses down the column of his throat, just barely brushing his lips against the fragile skin.

“I love my Cheolie cuddle time too,” Joshua assured, patting Seungcheol’s head as the leader poked the tip of his nose to where his gills blended in seamlessly with his neck, probably trying to repress a shudder. He let Seungcheol continue for a while, then made a noise, suddenly sounding a little uncertain. “...Do you think it was a good idea? To let Wonwoo and Jeonghan know?”

Seungcheol glanced up, mouth open to form words but not saying anything for a moment.

“They would never use that information against you,” he finally settled on saying. “They love you, and they know this is important. They won’t go randomly telling people that you have gills. They’re better than that.”

“I know, I know, I just...I dunno, I worry they’ll see me differently. I don’t act weirdly, do I?” Joshua sighed.

“I mean, considering the fact that we’ve all been living together for like over five years, you’re gonna have to do a whole lot of shit to surprise me, at this point,” Seungcheol said with a rueful grin. “Nothing you do is weird to me anymore, and I doubt they’ll think you’re weird. I mean, they might pay more attention to your behavior for a while, but it’s not like you’re going to start flopping around the deck and making fish noises.”

“Fish actually do make noises, y’know,” Joshua threw out lightly, and Seungcheol blinked.

“...Oh.”

“Yeah, some of us moan if you make us feel good,” Joshua hummed, tangling one hand in Seungcheol’s hair. Seungcheol raised an eyebrow, smirking.

“Really? That’s a pretty interesting fact,” he said slowly, moving his hands to Joshua’s hips, squeezing gently. “I wonder how loud you can be.”

“Well, you’re just gonna have to find out, hm?”

“Is that an invitation?”

“What do you think?”

“I think it is.” With that, Seungcheol pulled Joshua down into a hot and heavy kiss, rushed and almost a little desperate. They’d never quite gone beyond idle, petting touches, and the thrill of it raced through Seungcheol’s veins. He cursed himself for not bringing any supplies, then reasoned that he couldn’t possibly have known.

Kissing Joshua was familiar, as it always was, but there was an undercurrent of heat, of need, and it made Seungcheol’s blood boil. Of course, he’d seen the singer naked countless times when Joshua wanted to take a bath with him, but he’d never gotten to see specifically so he could touch, and a million thoughts raced through his head, wondering what it would be like, wondering where to put his hands to make Joshua feel good, wondering just who the fuck decided it would be a good idea to knock on their door in the middle of their makeout session-

“Seungcheol? Coups, you in there? Chan’s kinda out for the count; can you come help?” Hansol’s curious, slightly worried voice made Seungcheol sigh as he pulled away, and he gave Joshua one last placating peck on his pretty lips before glancing at the door.

“Yeah, I’ll be right there, just gimme a second,” he called, and Hansol hummed loudly, his light footfalls making no noise as he walked away.

“Why are we always interrupted?” Joshua whined, flopping against his chest in a futile attempt to keep him there. Seungcheol just snorted, effortlessly rolling Joshua off of him so he could stand up.

“Well, I’d say fate doesn’t want us to get it on in the middle of the ocean, but that sounds kind of ridiculous, don’t you think?” he chuckled, and Joshua huffed into the pillow, curling up tightly.

“Come back quickly. I wanna cuddle,” he demanded, and Seungcheol nodded, briefly petting his hair. His amusement settled into soft concern when he wondered just how badly Chan was sick for Hansol to come looking for him. He wasn’t like, throwing up all over the deck, right? He probably should have told Chan to rest for another day…

He was quite surprised when he stepped out and was greeted with a sky full of clouds. It had been perfectly sunny earlier, but now, as evening approached, thick grey clouds had rolled in, and Seungcheol could smell the promise of rain in the air.

Yeah, he should probably get Chan inside.

He found Hansol, Jun, Wonwoo, and Jihoon crouched over Chan, who was for some reason still lying on his back on the deck, probably whining about the rocking.

“Hey, why are you still out here?” he called, walking over. Jun and Hansol looked up.

“We don’t wanna move him in case he throws up. He really shouldn’t have gone outside,” Jun sighed, running a hand through the younger dancer’s hair. Seungcheol twisted his lips from side to side for a moment, thinking. Then he sighed.

“I’ll carry him. If he throws up on me oh well. It’s getting late and I think it’s gonna rain soon, so I don’t want any of you lounging about on deck.” He glanced back up at the sky, dark with coming night and heavy with clouds, and wondered how Joshua would react to such weather. Right, he had to make this fast so he could give Joshua his promised cuddles.

“Looks like it’s gonna rain tonight,” Jihoon mumbled, and though his words were kind of unnecessary, they held a weird weight to them, like Jihoon was talking about something more than just the clouds in the sky.

“Yeah,” he hummed absently, and all of their eyes went to the sky for a moment.

A pained groan from Chan made them all look back down, and, smiling apologetically, Seungcheol hefted their maknae into his arms, careful not to jostle him too much. Hansol and Wonwoo patted the top of Chan’s head, talking soothingly to him as Seungcheol carried him inside, and though he kept his eyes and lips squeezed tightly shut, he looked a little better when they’d gotten back into the warmth of the cabin. 

Thankfully, Chan did not throw up on him during the short walk to his and Soonyoung’s room, but he did curl up the second he was put down and moan something unintelligible into his pillow, probably about how much he fucking hated boats. Seungcheol couldn’t even reprimand him for swearing; he deserved that much.

He stationed Jihoon in the room and shooed Hansol off to go find Soonyoung, making sure Chan had some medicine without throwing it up and not leaving until Soonyoung had come back, looking worried but eager to cheer their maknae up. Satisfied with seeing Jihoon and Soonyoung fussing over Chan, rubbing his back as he writhed around and groaned into his pillow, he stood up and accompanied Hansol out, pausing to get some water.

“I was talking to the captain,” Hansol began, and Seungcheol’s first reaction was to give Hansol a wide-eyed, surprised look. Hansol always had a habit of talking to people no one expected him to, had a habit of knowing things no one thought he would know, and it surprised Seungcheol (and kind of creeped him out) every time.

“...And?” he prompted, raising an eyebrow. Hansol hummed, nodding to the window nearby. The sky was a deep, midnight blue, and it had started to rain since they’d been in Chan’s room.

“Said it’ll probably rain through the night and into the morning. It’s just the rain though, so Chan won’t get too sick. Well, he won’t get more sick than he already is,” he explained dryly, and he and Seungcheol shared a wry, sympathetic smile. Then Hansol shrugged, probably more to himself than to Seungcheol.

“Well, I should probably go make sure Seungkwan’s not lonely, so you can go back to smooching Josh or whatever you two were doing,” he said lightly, and once again, Seungcheol was both kind of impressed and kind of creeped out.

“...Yeah,” was all he found he could say. He couldn’t help himself; Hansol was a very strange person sometimes.

“Good night, Coups,” Hansol yawned, waving a lazy hand as he walked away, and Seungcheol shook his head to recollect himself, mumbling a sort of weak, stunned “good night” in response. God, one-on-one interactions with Hansol _ never _ went how he expected them to. 

But, as Hansol had reminded him, there was a person he very much wanted to smooch and snuggle so he did his best to scrunch together all his confused thoughts and turned to walk back to his room, wondering if Wonwoo was there. He hoped not.

Pushing open the door, he was a little relieved to see just Joshua curled up on his bed, playing with his phone, humming to himself.

“What took you so long?” he grumbled without looking away from his phone, and Seungcheol smiled apologetically, moving to sit down next to him on the sheets and run a hand through his hair.

“Sorry about that. Chan wasn’t feeling so hot; I left him with Jihoon and Soonyoung,” he explained, and Joshua just reached up for him with childish grabby hands, a little pout on his pretty lips. Seungcheol was happy to lean down and give him a little kiss, slowly moving so he was caging in Joshua’s body with his own.

“Is that invitation still on the table?” he purred against Joshua’s lips, and to his slight surprise, Joshua frowned a little and shook his head, turning a bit so Seungcheol’s lips weren’t directly on his.

“Nah, I just wanna cuddle for now, if that’s ok,” he mumbled, and Seungcheol instantly hummed assent, nodding and pressing a smattering of light, ticklish kisses all over Joshua’s cheeks, hoping to make him smile. He wasn’t an asshole, he would never, _ ever _ force any of his members into anything they didn’t want, especially Joshua, so he settled for poking at the singer’s sides until he was wheezing and snorting and laughing somewhat unattractively but genuinely, which made Seungcheol just as satisfied.

“Ok- ok st-stop it-! Tickling- tickling is _ not cute_!” Joshua shrieked, writhing to wiggle away from him, and Seungcheol relented, chuckling triumphantly. The triumph faded a little when Joshua punched him in the nipple, hard, and he jolted, clutching at his chest with a forlorn wheeze.

“...Sorry,” Joshua offered, sounding not at all sorry. In fact it sounded like he was trying not to laugh. Seungcheol glared at him, then jumped a bit when the rain suddenly started pounding against the windows, a heavy droning sound that was a little off-putting to him. He didn’t think it would start pouring; there wouldn’t be a storm, would there?

Joshua, on the other hand, scrambled to sit up and press his face to the nearest window, eyes closed in contentedness. 

“I love the sound of the rain,” he sighed happily, and Seungcheol smiled, reaching forward to pet Joshua’s hair. He knew several of their members shared the same sentiment; he’d caught Chan, Soonyoung, and Jihoon listening to nothing but rain noises while they worked or napped, and he had to admit that after the initial surprise, the constant pattering noise was soothing.

He didn’t expect Joshua to open the window and stick his head out into the rain. “H-hey! Get back in here! I can’t have you getting sick too!” Even so, he hesitated; seeing Joshua’s expression was enough to make him pause. That quietly wistful look on his face was back again as he stared out into the rainy sea, a little nostalgic. “...Shua?”

Joshua didn’t answer. He just kept staring out into the rain, water dripping down his nose. Seungcheol reached out to put a hand on his back, but he hesitated, eventually resting his palm on Joshua’s lower back. Joshua didn’t move, made no motion to indicate he felt Seungcheol’s presence at all. It was kind of scary, if Seungcheol was being honest with himself.

But he kept his mouth shut, rubbing Joshua’s back, watching his gills open and close with his breathing, watching his expression morph into something of a terrible, terrible longing.

“I wanna go home, Cheol,” he whispered, and Joshua finally turned to look at him. Seungcheol couldn’t tell whether there were tears or raindrops on his face but it didn’t matter because Joshua was sad and sick in a way that was very different but equally as painful as Chan’s sickness, and Seungcheol, at that moment, couldn’t say no to him.

So he sighed softly and looked out the window. “Where is home for you, Shua? I’ll take you there,” he murmured, and Joshua bit his lip, looking out into the rain.

Then he looked away, down at his hands. “...Nevermind. Sorry. I just...yeah, nevermind,” he mumbled, and Seungcheol’s brows furrowed. Joshua wasn’t the type to really express his needs properly, didn’t really think about himself a lot. He was a bit too selfless sometimes and right now it was coming back to bite him. Seungcheol worried about him a lot in that aspect, and he reached out to put his hand on Joshua’s shoulder, shaking his head.

“No, I’m listening,” he insisted, and Joshua shot him an awkward look, putting his head in his hands for a moment. “It’s ok, sweetheart,” he added more softly, rubbing Joshua’s shoulder.

“I know, I just… Would I be a freak if I said my home was out there? In the water?” he whispered, looking back out the window, leaning towards it to let the rain mist his face.

“You’re not a freak, Shua,” Seungcheol said quickly, before Joshua could even finish his sentence. “You’re not. Ok? You’re not. You’re Joshua and you’re fine the way you are. We all like you the way you are. I _ love _ you the way you are.” Before Joshua could continue to look like a sad scene in a movie, he bundled the singer tight into his arms, wrapping all of his limbs around Joshua’s body because he was clingy and Joshua was only wearing a thin t-shirt against the chilly breeze.

“Ok, ok, I get it, I get it,” Joshua laughed weakly, but he made no move to pull away, instead settling his head in the crook of Seungcheol’s neck and shoulder. “...Thanks.” In response Seungcheol only pressed a kiss to Joshua’s temple, humming in the back of his throat.

“I’ll take you home, wherever that may be,” Seungcheol offered, and Joshua didn’t say anything for a while.

“...I just wanna be in the water,” he finally sighed, and Seungcheol hummed, nodding and tapping his fingers down the knobs of Joshua’s spine. What could he do to get Joshua where he wanted to be? Maybe he could wait until a day off and take Joshua down to the waterfront for a while? Just let him disappear into the waves for a few hours?

“Well, if you want, we can go down to the beach on our next free day and you can just do your thing while I walk around,” he mused, and Joshua looked up at him, eyes wide as though not quite believing that Seungcheol would really give him that offer.

“You’d let me?” he all but whispered, and Seungcheol swore his eyes started sparkling. Seungcheol nodded.

“Of course. You’re my friend and I trust you and I love you and I want you to be happy,” he said simply, running one hand through Joshua’s hair. “I mean, it’s not like you’re gonna desert us or anything, right?” He left more kisses all over Joshua’s face, booping their noses together fondly. “I want to give you that much, at _ least_.”

“...God, I love you so fucking much,” Joshua mumbled in a trembling voice, and Seungcheol smiled, leaning forward to press their foreheads together.

“I love you too, Shua. Now please don’t cry; if you cry, I’ll start crying,” he wheedled, holding back sympathetic laughter as Joshua’s eyes welled up with grateful tears. “I promise you’ll get to be in the water soon,” he assured, running his thumbs under Joshua’s eyes and carefully wiping away the tears that had dripped onto his cheeks. 

Joshua sniffled a couple times and just sort of curled into Seungcheol’s chest, shaking faintly. Seungcheol smiled down at him softly, petting back his slightly damp hair and reaching out to close the window. “Snuggle time?”

“Snuggle time,” Joshua nodded, voice a thick mumble. Seungcheol cooed.

“You’re so cute,” he chuckled, shifting so he could lie down comfortably with Joshua tucked into the crook of his body. “Sleep well, ok?” Joshua just nodded again, thankfully not crying anymore, and Seungcheol let out a content sigh. “Love you.”

“As you should,” Joshua mumbled, and Seungcheol almost choked on a snort. He softened when Joshua let out a small, reluctant laugh.

“You’re turning into Chan,” he huffed, and Joshua shrugged. Still, there was a little grin on his face, which was good enough for Seungcheol.

* * *

Seungcheol woke up to the sound of Wonwoo puttering around the room, humming to himself as he picked up something from the desk.

“You’re up early,” he mumbled, peeking open one eye. Wonwoo blinked at him.

“It’s almost 9. I was gonna wake you up soon anyway. Also, I slept in Jeonghan’s room, so don’t worry about it,” he said lightly, and Seungcheol hummed, closing his eye and holding Joshua more tightly. The singer had rolled onto his stomach as he tended to do when he slept, face smushed into the pillow. His gills were doing a majority of the breathing for him, fluttering open and closed with the rise and fall of his chest, and Wonwoo watched them curiously. 

“...Ok, that’s really cool,” Seungcheol heard the younger rapper huff, and he smiled a bit.

“It is,” he nodded, patting the top of Joshua’s head with an uncoordinated hand. Already falling asleep again, he let his hand linger there, threaded through the soft brown strands. He would have been happy to drift off again if Wonwoo hadn’t yanked the covers down suddenly with a huff of “get up already!”

“Fine, fine, god, leave us alone,” Seungcheol groaned, laying himself over Joshua’s body to both cover him and wake him up. It worked, since Joshua stirred underneath his weight, whining softly into the pillow about how heavy and annoying he was. Seungcheol rolled off of him reluctantly, prodding Joshua’s side until he’d sat up on his elbows and given the leader a good glare, which didn’t affect him much; Joshua’s soft, early morning faces were just too cute to be scary.

Smirking about that thought, he gave Joshua a quick kiss before crawling over him, ignoring how he accidentally jabbed his elbow into Joshua’s lower back. The singer was probably going to get him back for that later, but he could hide while he had the chance. Wonwoo snickered about it on the way out.

* * *

“We’ll be back on shore in about two hours,” Jeonghan informed him when he’d walked down into the main part of the cabin. “...How was he last night?” he added in a softer, more concerned voice.

“He was alright,” Seungcheol assured, sending Joshua a glance. The singer was peeking over Seungkwan’s shoulders, chattering curiously. “He just...wanted to go home. I’m looking to just set him free in the water for a bit the next time we all get a day off, hopefully.” He shrugged, and Jeonghan nodded with a low hum, eyes fixed on Joshua. Seungcheol followed his gaze, and they stood there in silence for a bit, until Jihoon prodded them and said they were all gonna eat breakfast soon.

“Sometimes I wonder how you just...have so much in your heart to give to him. To give to all of us,” Jeonghan murmured as they walked behind the others, and Seungcheol blinked at him, surprised at the sudden heartfelt comment. It wasn’t often that Jeonghan let something soft and meaningful slip out of his mouth in public. “You’re always just sort of...filling up the spaces that we can’t,” he added, sending Seungcheol a glance.

“...I do it because I love you,” he said honestly. “I love all of you a lot. You matter to me more than any other thing that I can buy or that can be gifted to me. I know I’m not the best leader sometimes but I do what I can to make you all know just how much I care. And with Joshua...well, let’s be real, anyone would do anything for him,” he chuckled, and Jeonghan smiled a soft smile.

“Mm… He does have that effect, doesn’t he?” he said softly, and the two of them watched as Mingyu and Soonyoung grabbed both of Joshua’s arms, trapping him between them and dragging him along as they ranted about something far too enthusiastically for the sleepy morning atmosphere.

“He does,” Seungcheol agreed, then he sent Jeonghan a conspiratorial look. “But sometimes he’s a lot like you. Too much like you. Y’know sometimes the fans call you twins and I’m highly inclined to believe it.” To that, Jeonghan only smiled one of his cat-like, clever smiles, eyes narrowed playfully, and Seungcheol pouted, looking away pointedly. He heard Jeonghan snicker and he softened, sending Joshua one last glance. The singer was laughing at something Wonwoo was saying, still being half dragged along by Mingyu, and Seungcheol really would have done anything for him.

* * *

“You excited to be back?” Seungcheol asked, walking up to Joshua where the singer had been standing for the past half an hour. They could see the shoreline now, coming up soon, and Joshua hadn’t moved at all.

“Yeah,” Joshua hummed quietly, still gazing out into the horizon. “You?”

“I’m looking forward to sleeping in my own bed,” he shrugged. “And I bet Chan is too.” He and Joshua both snickered at that, imagining their youngest desperately flopping onto solid ground once they got back. Moving towards Joshua, Seungcheol slung his arms around the singer’s waist, chin on his shoulder, giving his neck a quick kiss. Joshua hummed softly in acknowledgement, patting the hands Seungcheol had around his stomach. 

“...Would you really let me go back? Even just for a little bit?” Joshua whispered right as Seungcheol was about to get comfortable, and the leader paused for a moment.

“...If it makes you happy, I’d let you do anything. My first priority is always you guys,” he said honestly, bumping his forehead to Joshua’s cheek. “I just want to see you smile.” He nuzzled his head against Joshua’s, pulling a soft laugh from him, and he smiled a little himself, happy to hear his amusement.

“Sappy, aren’t you,” Joshua hummed, but there was only fondness in his voice as he turned and gave Seungcheol’s cheek a quick kiss. “Let’s go inside. I’m sure the others are waiting for an opportunity to tease us.”

Instead of letting go, Seungcheol just waddled back into the cabin, keeping himself attached to Joshua’s back, humming happily. Joshua didn’t push him away either, and when they stepped inside, the others only gave them a few teasing smiles and some passing comments about how touchy they were before going back to wondering if Chan would even be able to stand up upon arrival in the bay.

“Will he be alright?” Joshua asked worriedly, looking at Mingyu, who had just come back from Chan’s room.

“I think so,” Mingyu shrugged, “he was out like a light when I walked in. Once we stop moving he should be fine. I hope. We’re getting back in, what, half an hour? 20 minutes? Not that long.”

“That’s good,” Joshua nodded absently, and Seungcheol didn’t miss how Jeonghan and Wonwoo exchanged a look.

* * *

When the boat finally came to a stop, Soonyoung carried a still-snoozing Chan on his back off of the boat, dragging both of their things behind him with an expression of utmost determination on his face. Minghao took several pictures to upload later, but eventually helped Soonyoung pull Chan’s suitcase.

The ride back to the dorms was quiet, all of them a little drained from their trip, but even Seungkwan managed to be somewhat energetic as they bounced inside and took the elevators to their respective rooms.

“Ah- before you all scatter, you have the rest of the day to yourselves,” their manager called, and instantly Seungcheol felt Joshua latch onto his arm, an unasked question in the singer’s eyes.

“Yes, yes, we can go down to the water,” he assured quietly, and Joshua smiled at him, so big and bright that Seungcheol kind of felt a little weak in the knees. Was that normal? It was Joshua; that probably was normal.

Once Seungcheol had put his stuff away in his and Hansol’s room (he was pretty certain the younger rapper was going to either sleep for the next 12 hours or stay up watching movies with Chan and Jun), we went to wait down in the lobby, and less than five minutes later, Joshua bounced up to him, looking excited. However, there was also a weird emotion in his eyes, something almost apprehensive. 

“You alright, baby?” Seungcheol whispered, feeling a bit daring even though they were in public. Joshua nodded.

“Just a little...nervous, I guess. It’s been a while since I...y’know…” He waved a hand, and Seungcheol just nodded, humming acknowledgement. “...I guess I just feel kinda bad. I mean, part of me will always think the water is my home, but now...now you guys are my home too. I don’t- I don’t want to have to make a choice,” Joshua admitted softly, and Seungcheol’s wide-eyed gaze swung to him. He hadn’t expected that.

“...No one is going to force you to choose between the two,” he said eventually, voice thoughtful. “I’m not, and the others won’t either. If you ever end up telling all of them, they’ll understand. As cheesy as it sounds, home is where your heart is, and it’s ok to have your heart in multiple places.”

Joshua sent him a shy glance through thick eyelashes, a little smile on his face. “...Where is your home then, Cheol?” he prompted, and Seungcheol hummed thoughtfully, glancing up at the sky, which was scattered with clouds and slowly running through the colors of evening.

“With all of you,” he said slowly, “but also back with my parents and my brother in Daegu. Just because I was born there doesn’t mean I feel any less at home here, and vice versa. I also proudly call that one ramen shop my home away from home. I would 10/10 go there in the event of a zombie apocalypse,” he declared, and Joshua snorted, a sort of endearingly unattractive noise that nevertheless made Seungcheol grin.

“You have good homes then,” Joshua said eventually, after he’d finished giggling to himself. 

“I do,” Seungcheol agreed more softly, and Joshua’s smile warmed, his full lips curling up in that little smile that Seungcheol loved.

The taxi ride down to the beach was silent, but one of Seungcheol’s hands found Joshua’s and held it tightly, thumb brushing over the back of his hand unconsciously. Staring out the window, he missed the small, fond smile Joshua sent him.

When they got to the waterfront, Joshua paused, a frown creasing his brows. “...I didn’t bring a change of clothes with me,” he pointed out, and Seungcheol waved it off. 

“I’ll nip back and bring one before you come back.” He smiled at Joshua’s grateful look, and the two made their way down to the rocky beach, where the weak November sunlight was streaming through the patchy cloud cover. He grabbed Joshua’s hand before either of them could trip on the rocks, hopping down to the water where they were reasonably hidden from sight.

“...Thank you for letting me...for letting me do this. I promise I’ll come back, I just wanna...see things underwater again,” Joshua sighed, and Seungcheol shook his head, squeezing Joshua’s hand.

“We all deserve a trip home once in a while,” he reasoned, and Joshua shot him another one of those soft smiles, full of gratitude. “You spend as long as you want out there. You can leave your phone on the rocks so it doesn’t get wet and text me whenever. I might zip back to grab an extra jacket and walk along the shore for a while,” he hummed, gesturing to the rest of the beach, but before he could even finish his sentence, Joshua had grabbed his face and kissed him hard, lips pressing insistently against his own like they’d never get the chance again.

Initially, Seungcheol was a bit surprised, but he let the kiss happen, reaching up to pet the back of Joshua’s neck.

He parted reluctantly, sending a glance up at the sidewalk above them. There weren’t many people, but he didn’t want to take any chances. “You go have fun, alright? Put your phone somewhere dry and contact me if you need anything. I’ll be walking around and keeping an eye on the water.” He smiled when he saw Joshua’s gills flicker open and closed several times, a bright happiness filling the singer’s eyes.

“Thank you,” he whispered again, earnest and loving, and Seungcheol just smiled, shooing him towards the water. Joshua took a step towards it, pulled off his shoes, set his phone down in the niche of a dry rock, threw one last glance over his shoulder, then just sort of melted into the waves, clothes and all, and disappeared, leaving Seungcheol alone but not lonely.

Seungcheol sat down on one of the boulders, gazing out at the sea. It was a little cloudy, but the sun’s rays were peeking down in golden beams, painting the water with sparkles, and Seungcheol had to acknowledge that even if he didn’t fully know Joshua’s past, at least he came from a very beautiful place.

He got up when his butt started to hurt from sitting so long, and the first thing he did was buy himself a cup of halfway decent coffee from the nearest cafe and walk around, always keeping his eyes on the ocean. It was...nice, tranquil and peaceful in a way that Seungcheol had never really thought about before. He liked the ocean, always had, but he’d never taken such a close look at it, had never thought about it so introspectively. He supposed it was only natural that he take a closer look at it now, being connected to Joshua and all. 

Maybe he was just stupid and cheesy and (more than) a little in love, but he couldn’t help but smile every time he sent a look at the serene waters lapping against the shore.

* * *

He spent the next few hours wandering around close to the shore, and at some point he zipped back to the dorms to grab a dry pair of clothes for Joshua and a warmer jacket for himself, bundling up against the chill. He’d shoved more than a few handwarmers into his bag too, just because he got cold easily, and he set off back towards the beach. It was getting dark, and Joshua hadn’t texted him yet, so he assumed the singer was still underwater, doing whatever his fishy heart desired for the time being. He hoped Joshua would come back out before the sun set completely…

He grabbed two cups of hot cocoa, because he knew Joshua loved the drink almost as much as he loved being in the water, and sat himself down on the beach again, watching the sun tease the edge of the horizon, slowly, slowly sinking lower and lower, painting the clouds a ferocious gold-pink-purple and dying the sky the exact shades of their band’s official colors. He wished there was a camera good enough to capture the moment.

Sighing contentedly, he sipped at his cocoa, setting the other cup securely in the pebbly sand, and waited. The water was beautiful too, reflecting the brightly-colored sky with shimmering patterns and deep navy blues, somehow both ever-changing and constant.

The sun was right about to sink below the horizon when he noticed a lump rising out of the water, and he smiled, waving a little. As the sun dipped out of sight and the world faded to soft blues and greys and blacks, Joshua stepped out of the water, dripping wet but smiling clearly even though the dark. God, Seungcheol loved him. 

“Hi,” he murmured when Joshua was standing right before him, and he stood to take Joshua’s hands even though they were cold and wet.

“Hi,” Joshua whispered back, rising to his toes to press a light kiss to Seungcheol’s nose. “Thank you for waiting for me. Thank you for letting me go home for a bit.” 

“Anytime, sweetheart,” Seungcheol hummed, pulling back a bit. “Let’s get you into some dry clothes, hm? I brought a towel with me.” He pulled said fluffy object out of his bag, along with a set of dry clothes, and Joshua smiled at him as a streetlight flickered into life above them, painting their faces in a soft artificial orange. It made Joshua’s skin look washed-out and pale, highlighting the drips of water rolling off of his hair and down his cheeks, but Seungcheol just wiped his bangs out of the way and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

It took a surprisingly short time for Joshua to resurface from the rocks he’d hidden behind, mostly dry apart from his hair and swamped in a few of Seungcheol’s shirts. He still had that happy, almost blissful look on his face, and Seungcheol ruffled the towel against his hair for a moment, just so...so _ fond_.

“I got you hot cocoa. Might not be so hot anymore though,” he said apologetically, and Joshua just laughed, kissing him again under the shitty orange streetlight and smiling against his lips.

“You’re hot enough for me,” he said jokingly, and Seungcheol rolled his eyes, taking a few of the hand warmers he’d brought and shaking them to life, putting a few into Joshua’s pockets because the singer’s hands were always freakishly cold, like blocks of ice, especially right after coming out of the ocean.

“Did you enjoy it?” he asked quietly when they were walking along the roads, not wanting to hail a taxi just yet. Joshua nodded, lacing their hands tightly together.

“Yeah, it was...it was nice,” Joshua said softly. “I wish I could show you everything I can see down there. I think you would like it.”

“I bet I would.” Smiling all soft and warm like the sappy idiot Jeonghan always accused him of being, he leaned in and nuzzled his nose against Joshua’s cheek, not really sure what to do with all the fluttery, sparky feelings in his stomach but enjoying them greatly.

The fact remained that those feelings stayed there all through the night, as they sipped their lukewarm hot cocoa and swung their interlaced hands between them, as they finally got a taxi to take them to the dorms, and as they parted ways with a swift, soft kiss to go to their respective rooms with promises to cuddle more in the morning.

“One last breath?” Joshua offered right before Seungcheol was about to step back onto the elevator, and Seungcheol was hasty to nod, wrapping one arm around Joshua’s waist and winding his other hand in Joshua’s hair, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. 

The familiar, calming sensation of Joshua breathing life into his lungs; Seungcheol could never describe it. It was almost like his drug, a very special type of nicotine he’d addicted himself to. Greedy for the sensation, he pulled Joshua closer, ignoring how they were in the middle of a hallway where pretty much anyone could come in and see them. It didn’t matter; he didn’t care.

When Joshua pulled back, his eyes were half-lidded and happy, warm with light and turned into little crescents. Seungcheol gently smoothed down his slowly-fluttering gills and received one of those soft purring noises in response, a sound that made him laugh quietly.

“Good night, baby,” he said gently, pressing one last kiss to Joshua’s forehead.

“G’night, Cheol,” Joshua nodded, accepting the forehead kiss with a happy hum. “Maybe one day I can take you to my home and show you all the cool things.” At that, Seungcheol smiled, hummed and pet back Joshua’s hair before letting his fingers rest against where Joshua’s gills blended in flawlessly with his neck.

“Yeah, I think I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand that's a wrap!! I really hope you liked this massive lil story for Fish Boy! I know I had a blast writing it, and I hope you enjoyed it. I just adore the softness of CheolSoo and all the lil interactions they have, an of course, Jeonghan is the best friend we all need but don't deserve.  
On a slightly sadder note, this is all the Fish Boy content I have for now, but if you guys want a particular scenario, I might write a one-shot for it!  
Thank you all for waiting for this, and I hope u liked it <3

**Author's Note:**

> Oof this is angsty I know but it'll get better !! Promise !! The next chapter's gonna be pretty long and I'll have it up by next week, probably before that


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